If Robots Reach Our Complexity, What Separates Them from Us?

​If humans are complex biological machines, systems of neurons, signals, and chemistry producing thought, what happens when robots reach the same level of complexity? If consciousness is an emergent property of structure and computation, is there any reason it couldn’t arise in silicon as it did in us?

​As robots grow more advanced, new questions emerge. If they begin to think, feel, or reflect, will they ask for rights? And if they do, what moral ground would we have to deny them, especially as we rely on them to free us from manual labour and mundane work? Are we creating partners in intelligence, or a new class of beings to exploit?

​In the past, humanity has drawn arbitrary lines to separate "us" from "them": by colour, gender, origin, or belief. Will we repeat that mistake when life no longer looks like us, but is made of circuits instead of cells?

​No experts, no slides, no pressure. A casual conversation about what does it mean to be a human, what does it mean to be a robot, and what would it mean to be equal.

​​We are Philosofriends, a group of ordinary people who enjoy discussing philosophy, technology, and other unconventional ideas. We meet once a month to chat, laugh, and make new friends who share our interest in engaging conversations.